Department for Transport

East Coast Railway Line: Freight

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the enhancement of the power supply on the East Coast Main Line will provide sufficient power to allow for electrically hauled freight trains.

baroness vere of norbiton: The upgrade of the East Coast Main Line’s power supply will enable more electric trains to run in each hour. At some times of the day, passenger trains will use all of the available capacity but at other times there will be sufficient power to allow electrically hauled freight trains to run.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 20 January (HL273), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, on what dates HS2 is expected to reach (1) Newcastle, and (2) Edinburgh.

baroness vere of norbiton: Currently, HS2 services to Newcastle and Edinburgh will start between 2036 and 2040. However, as recommended by the Oakervee review, government will work with the National Infrastructure Commission to develop an integrated plan for rail investment in the North and Midlands. This will look at HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail, and our multi-billion-pound rail investment programme – to assess whether can deliver these projects faster, cheaper, and with greater benefits and fewer impacts for the North and Midlands.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Fares

lord trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of a single standard class rail ticket from London to Birmingham when HS2 opens.

baroness vere of norbiton: A decision has not been taken on how fares will be set for High Speed 2 (HS2) at this stage. The business case for HS2 is based on the assumption that fares will be the same as the average for comparable services on the existing network.

Railways: Bradford

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to includea station in Bradford town centreas part of the proposed high speed railway line between Manchester and Leeds.

baroness vere of norbiton: We are considering a range of options for improving connectivity between Manchester and Leeds, including options that would serve Bradford. The Department for Transport has been working with Transport for the North to develop a public consultation on these options. We aim to make a further announcement shortly.

Railways: North of England

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect that a preferred route, or alternative routes, for the proposed high-speed railway line between Leeds and Manchester will be published for consultation.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department has been working with Transport for the North to develop a public consultation for a range of options developed for the Manchester to Leeds rail corridor. The responses would support decisions on the preferred route for Northern Powerhouse Rail. We are aiming to announce the next steps shortly.

Railways: North of England

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are reviewing the scope of the TransPennine Route upgrade; if so, what are the terms of the review; and when they expect to publish their findings.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Transpennine Route Upgrade programme remains on track to pass its next investment decision later this year following standard process. This will confirm the programme’s scope.

Railways: Capital Investment

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 12 February (HL1259), what is the (1) average, and (2) expected, time for a railway re-opening scheme to progress through the (a) rail network enhancement pipeline (RNEP) and (b) Governance of Railway Investment Projects (GRIP) schemes; whether the RNEP and GRIP schemes will operate consecutively or concurrently; and what is the relationship between the GRIP process and the development of schemes throughthe RNEP in (i) research into the economic impact of reopenings, (ii) site investigations, (iii) scheme design, (iv) effects on the wider network, and (v) costs.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP) and the Network Rail Governance of Rail Investment Projects (GRIP) processes will operate concurrently until completion of the RNEP process, following which the GRIP process will continue until the scheme completion. The GRIP process will inform the wider business case used in the RNEP process to make decisions on whether to proceed. The time taken for a re-opening scheme to progress through the two processes will depend on the complexity and detail required to understand the costs and benefits, and the extent of the construction required.

Trams: Coventry

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for extending tram services from Birmingham to Coventry.

baroness vere of norbiton: Extensions to the West Midlands Metro are for the West Midlands Combined Authority to consider and will be subject to future funding being secured. The West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, has already done significant work in improving connectivity across the West Midlands. For example, the Mayor has allocated a substantial portion of the West Midlands’ Transforming Cities Fund allocation to fund the Brierley Hill extension to the West Midlands Metro on which services are expected to commence in 2023.

Bypasses: Capital Investment

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many bypass schemes in England are awaiting funding approval.

baroness vere of norbiton: There are 22 bypass schemes in England currently awaiting funding approval. These are schemes for which Local Authority sponsors have submitted Outline Business Cases which the Government is currently considering.

A1: Capital Investment

lord shipley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the transformative investments to the A1 north of Newcastle proposed by the Prime Minister in his statement on Transport Infrastructure on 11 February; and when they will be implemented.

baroness vere of norbiton: We have already started on improvements to the A1 North of Ellingham. Junction improvements at Fenham le Moor, Outchester, Adderstone Mains, Newstead Crossroads and Old Mousen have been completed. Work is currently underway on other junctions along this section of the A1 and work will be completed by March 2020. We are also committed to dualling the A1 between Alnwick and Ellingham and Morpeth and Felton, as well as creating new junctions at Highlaws, Fenrother, West Moor and Charlton Mires. Construction will begin on this scheme in 2021 and both sections will be open for traffic by 2023/24. The schemes will improve performance and safety for the travelling public on the A1.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 January (HL665), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what assessment they have made of reports that the families of children working in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are seeking compensation for forced labour, unjust enrichment, negligent supervision, intentional infliction of emotional distress, wages promised but not paid, and the loss of assets, educational and business opportunities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the calls for compensation for forced labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and continue to monitor the situation. We do not comment on ongoing legal cases, but the British Government remains concerned about reports of modern slavery and child labour in DRC, and UK officials have raised these concerns with the government. The UK is working to prevent forced labour and child labour in DRC by focusing on improved transparency and governance in the mining sector, working with civil society and mining companies, including through programmes with the Carter Centre. The UK expects responsible businesses to respect human rights across their operations and in their international supply relationships. We actively encourage all states to implement the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. These principles underline: the duty of a state to protect human rights; the responsibility of businesses to respect human rights; and the importance of access to remedy for victims of abuses, which is rights-compatible, transparent, equitable and predictable.

Iraq: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraq about Article 26(2) of the National Identity Card Law which prescribes that childrenborn to one Muslim parent must be registered as Muslim; and what assessment they have made of the impact of that policy on children born following rape perpetrated by Daesh fighters against those belonging to religious minorities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have concerns with Article 26 of the National Identity Card Law as it limits an individual's freedom of religion. We have made clear our concerns to the Government of Iraq. Children born of sexual violence under Daesh remain particularly vulnerable and present significant protection challenges. We continue to engage with the Government of Iraq on the importance of ensuring all children in Iraq, including those born of rape, have access to identification documents so they can attend school and access healthcare.

Bahrain: Detainees

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, at their meeting with the Director General of the Muharraq Governate Police, Brigadier General Fawaz Al Hassan, at Muharraq Security Complex in Bahrain in July 2019, they raised allegations that activists Ebtisam Al Saegh and Najah Yusuf were sexually assaulted and tortured by National Security Agency staff at that security complex whilst Brigadier General Fawaz Al Hassan was in post.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: British Embassy Officials regularly meet Bahraini officials to discuss a range of issues. They did not discuss allegations relating to Ebtisam Al Saegh and Najah Yusuf at the meeting in July 2019.

Bahrain: Police

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports published in The Times and The Yorkshire Post that facilities at the Royal Academy of Policing in Bahrain have been used for the torture of political prisoners, whether they have any agreement with the Royal Academy of Policing, in particular any agreement to (1) fund, or (2) provide training to, that Academy; and if so, whether those reports affect this relationship in any way.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government takes note of a number of sources of information on Bahrain. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not currently provide funding to the Bahrain Royal Academy of Policing.

Bahrain: Police

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) they, or (2) any of their affiliates, have met with any representatives from the Royal Academy of Policing in Bahrain; and if so, (a) when any such meetings took place, and (b) who attended.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: British Embassy officials meet with their Bahraini counterparts on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues.

Cabinet Office

Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the timetable for the Security, Defence and Foreign Policy review; when theyintend to start the consultation process; and which stakeholders will be involved.

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect the Security, Defence and Foreign Policy review to be completedin 2020.

lord true: Further to the answers given to PQ HL320 and PQ HL324, the Prime Minister has committed to undertake the deepest review of Britain's security, defence, and foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. The review will examine how we strengthen and prioritise our alliances, diplomacy and development; it will consider all aspects of our defence and security capabilities.Announcement on the timings of the review will be made in the usual way.

Elections

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what resources they have allocated to their Defending Democracy Programme; which department is leading the programme; and which stakeholders they are engaging.

lord true: The Defending Democracy Programme is led by and coordinated through the Cabinet Office, with input from a number of other departments. The programme has been set up to:Protect and secure UK democratic processes, systems and institutions from interference, including from cyber, personnel and physical threats;Strengthen the integrity of UK elections;Encourage Respect for open, fair and safe democratic participation;Promote fact-based and open discourse, including online.The programme draws together expertise and ongoing work from across Government.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Apprentices

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much in total the NHS has contributed to the apprenticeship levy fund to date; and what proportion of that total has been spent on apprenticeships.

lord bethell: We are working closely with employers, Health Education England and other delivery partners to make sure that the National Health Service is supported to recruit apprentices, thus utilising their levy contributions, in a range of occupations. This is to ensure the NHS has a workforce that is reflective of the population it serves.The apprenticeship levy is paid by NHS employers with a pay bill over £3 million. It is for each NHS employer to determine how to spend the funds available to them for apprenticeships. The Department for Education hold the official data on employer level spending. Individual NHS employers hold their own data on their levy spend. We do not collect this data centrally.

NHS Resolution

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 6 February (HL793), what assessment they have made of the performance of NHS Resolution, following the payment of damages in 2,872 out of 3,487 cases were proceedings had been issued in 2018–19.

lord bethell: NHS Resolution has a responsibility to settle justified clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England fairly and swiftly, and to defend against unjustified claims, to protect NHS resources.The majority of claims are resolved through alternative dispute resolution, without any formal proceedings being issued and the number of claims moving into formal litigation has continued to drop in recent years, from a litigation rate of 34% in 2016-17 to 31% in 2018-19.The Department holds NHS Resolution to account for its performance and is satisfied with the progress NHS Resolution is making on delivering on its strategic aims, including its efforts to avoid unnecessary litigation.

Genito-urinary Medicine

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the process for drafting the national sexual and reproductive health strategy.

lord bethell: Work on the development of a new national sexual and reproductive health strategy is underway, with the Department working with Public Health England, NHS England and NHS Improvement, local government and other partners. Initial engagement with stakeholders has already taken place and we are also considering the responses to the Green Paper Advancing our Health along with suggestions for priority areas for the new strategy we received through the consultation process. Details of the strategy’s scope, plans for more formal engagement with external organisations, timing of publication and implementation will be announced in due course.

Mental Illness: Prisoners

lord patel of bradford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in adult prisons in England and Wales have mental health problems .

lord bethell: This information is not available in the format requested.

Health Services: Prisons

lord patel of bradford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much NHS England spent on healthcare services in adult prisons in England and Wales in 2019;and how much ofthis was spent on mental health services.

lord bethell: The information is not held in the format requested.

Mental Health Services: Prisons

lord patel of bradford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what services are provided for people with mental health problems in prisons in England and Wales; and how NHS England monitors (1) the quality of mental health services, and (2) the outcomes those services achieve.

lord bethell: Health Needs Assessments are undertaken for each prison to understand what the healthcare needs are for that particular prison population. Mental health services within each prison will be commissioned based on the findings of this assessment and will therefore be different for each prison.Quality monitoring of NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned healthcare services in prisons is undertaken by the seven regional commissioning teams through their local contract quality and performance arrangements. National quality reporting requirements have been developed to provide a consistent set of quality indicators for local monitoring.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the risk of the Wuhan coronavirus spreading to the UK, what steps are being taken to ensure that there are sufficient face masks in production for use in any such eventuality.

lord bethell: We have centrally held stocks of a range of medical products, including face masks, to mitigate supply problems and help ensure the uninterrupted supply to the National Health Service. We have well established procedures to deal with supply problems, regardless of the cause, and work closely with industry, the NHS and others in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and to ensure that any risks to patients are minimised. Face masks for the general public are not recommended to protect from infection, as there is no evidence of the benefit of their use outside healthcare environments.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to develop a version of the government of China’s coronavirus close contact detector application.

lord bethell: After the experience of SARS in 2003, Public Health England (PHE) developed a series of diagnostic tests capable of detecting all coronaviruses. These were used to detect the second case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus when it emerged in 2012. Following the publication of the genome sequence of Covid-19, PHE was able to rapidly develop further specific tests for this virus, working with the World Health Organization and its global network of laboratories.The United Kingdom was one of the first countries outside China to have a prototype specific laboratory test for this new infection.PHE has been approached by a number of diagnostic kit manufacturers and potential end-users who want PHE to evaluate the performance of commercial kits for specific detection of Covid-19 to inform the National Health Service.Access to suitable positive control materials, including the virus itself, has been limited but the reference laboratories at PHE will now be proactively conducting independent technical validations of commercially available assays. The data from these evaluations will be available on request to pathology service providers seeking to locally implement commercial solutions.We are at the very start of this process and have responded to some of the companies that have contacted us.

Diabetes

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of cases of type 2 diabetes.

lord bethell: The NHS Long Term Plan committed to fund a doubling of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) over the next five years, including a new digital option to widen patient choice and target inequality. The programme supports individuals with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia over nine months to achieve a healthy weight, improve nutrition and increase physical activity, therefore reducing their risk.The NHS DPP was established in 2016 to support individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes. It is the first national evidence-based diabetes prevention programme of its kind and over 500,000 people have so far been referred to the programme. In 2019 the programme achieved its 2020 NHS Five Year Forward View Target to support 100,000 people a year and over 250,000 people have progressed to the first stage of the programme since commencement.

Department for International Development

Darfur: Armed Conflict

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees that (1) fighting in Sudan’s West Darfur State has displaced an estimated 46,000 people inside that country and caused more than 14,000 to flee into Chad since December,(2) the majority of those displaced are women and young children, (3) villages and homes have been burnt, and (4) a further 30,000 are estimated to be displaced in the coming weeks; and what action they are taking to bring to justice those who are responsible.

baroness sugg: We are deeply concerned by the recent violence in West Darfur, and subsequent dispersal of a large number of people to nearby el Geneina town and Eastern Chad. Many of those displaced are believed to be women and children. Recent violence has left substantial damage, including the large scale burning of houses. The situation is now calm but remains fragile. In response international organisations have channelled funds to support those displaced, including from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (to which the UK is the largest bilateral donor). The UK welcomes the establishment of a committee for reconciliation and to investigate those responsible for this violence. The UK is strongly committed to respect for human rights and accountability, and continues to encourage all parties to progress the peace talks.

Overseas Aid

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average percentage of overseas development assistance that they disburse through non-governmental organisations that reaches its intended recipients;what percentage of such funding is spent on administration costs; and what steps they are taking to increase the percentage of such funding that reaches its intended recipients.

baroness sugg: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are important partners for DFID in ensuring that UKAid reaches intended recipients, particularly the most marginalised groups. Approximately 10% of UKAid in 2018 was channelled directly through NGO partners.DFID’s approach to programme delivery ensures this funding is well targeted. A Business Case must set out why the programme represents value for money and how this will be measured. Before funds are dispersed, a due diligence assessment is conducted to ensure the NGO partner has the capacity to deliver. Each programme is then monitored throughout its life, with formal annual reviews ensuring that progress and value for money are sustained and that any management fees remain appropriate.On 1 April this year, DFID published a new approach to cost transparency in NGO grants. A new budget template and guidance will ensure that DFID has full sight of, and is able to scrutinise, all costs being paid to CSO partners through grants and standardises our approach to paying overheads. However, the exact information requested on administration costs is not held centrally and could only be collated at disproportionate cost.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Taxation

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any review of the apprenticeship levy will prioritise the employer-led element of the current system.

baroness berridge: The apprenticeship levy underpins our reforms to raise apprenticeship quality and supports employers to make long-term, sustainable investments in the skills they need to grow. Income from the levy is used to fund apprenticeships in all employers, both those who pay the levy and those who do not.We value the employer-led element of apprenticeships and are receptive to their concerns of businesses about the apprenticeship levy. We are committed to ensuring the apprenticeship programme continues to provide opportunities for people of all backgrounds, whilst meeting the needs of employers of all sizes and delivering for the economy more broadly.In response to employers we have already introduced the flexibility for levy-payers to transfer up to 25 per cent of their funds, enabling them to support apprenticeship starts in their supply chains or to meet local skills needs. In January, we extended the use of transfers to cover the full cost of training for 16 to 18-year-olds and eligible 19 to 24-year-olds in employers with fewer than 50 employees.

Apprentices: Taxation

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the average amount spent from apprenticeship levy pots by companies; how much of the apprenticeship levy fund was spent in total in 2019; whether that total represents an (1) overspend, (2) underspend, or (3) spend as forecast; and how the forecast overspend of that fund was calculated.

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the apprenticeship levy fund is currently being spent by non-levy payers.

baroness berridge: The apprenticeship levy is collected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) from all UK employers with a pay bill above £3 million. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive a share of levy funding, which increased to £459 million in 2019-20. It is for the devolved administrations to decide how their allocations should be used.The funds available to levy-paying employers through their apprenticeship service accounts are not the same as the Department for Education’s annual apprenticeships budget, which is set to fund apprenticeships in England only and is set irrespective of actual levy receipts. This budget is used to fund training for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training. It is also used to cover the cost of end-point assessment and any additional payments made to employers and providers.In 2018-19, we spent £1.7 billion of the £2.3 billion ring-fenced budget. The underspend of £489 million against this budget is set out on page 71 of the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s annual report and accounts, published in July 2019 and attached. In 2019-20, our total budget allocation is £2.5 billion. Final end-of-year outturns will be published in the 2019-20 annual report and accounts.Spending on the apprenticeship programme is demand-led and employers can choose which apprenticeships they offer, how many apprenticeships they offer and when they offer the apprenticeships. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them but they are able to do so if they wish.In 2018-19, levy paying employers spent, on average, around 30% of the funds available to them in their apprenticeship service accounts. In the same period, spending on apprenticeship training and assessment in non-levy paying employers was £0.5 billion.



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Apprentices: Taxation

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the apprenticeship levy fund is being spent on, other than supporting apprentice training instigated by (1) companies, (2) levy payers, and (3) non-levy payers.

baroness berridge: The apprenticeship levy underpins our reforms to raise apprenticeship quality and supports employers to make long-term, sustainable investments in the skills that they need to grow.The levy is collected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from all UK employers with a pay bill above £3 million. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive a share of levy funding, which increased to £459 million in 2019-20. It is for the devolved administrations to decide how funds raised from the levy should be used.The funds available to levy-paying employers through their apprenticeship service accounts are not the same as the Department for Education’s annual apprenticeships budget, which is set to fund apprenticeships in England only, and is set irrespective of actual of levy receipts. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them, but they are able to if they wish. In the 2019-20 year, over £2.5 billion is available for investment in apprenticeships in England. This is double what was spent in 2010.The apprenticeship budget is used to fund training for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training. It is also used to cover the cost of end-point assessment and any additional payments made to employers and/or providers, including for apprentices who are 16 to 18, 19 to 24 and have previously been in care, or who need additional support to achieve the English and maths requirements.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Buildings: Safety

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are considering to ensure that there is sufficient professional indemnity cover for those advising the construction industry on fire consultancy and building safety.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government is aware of issues affecting the professional indemnity cover of some fire and building safety consultants. We are engaging with the construction industry to understand the scale of the problem, and also with the insurance industry to better understand their approach to risk.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of how much property values for individualpropertiesin high rise blocks have been affected following initial risk assessments in the light of action taken as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire; and what steps they planning to take to protect home owners.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government is aware that concerns about building safety are leading to delays in valuing some properties for mortgage finance. The Government is engaged with the mortgage industry and is supporting their work in addressing the delays.

Housing: Construction

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage 'self-build' housing.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: Government has put in place a range of measures to encourage self and custom housebuilding including the Self & Custom Housebuilding legislation. The legislation is focussed on bringing forward more suitable land, providing access to developer finance through the £2.5 billion Home Building Fund and working with finance providers to increase mortgage availability. We have allocated £95,000 of new burdens funding to each relevant authority to support them to fulfil their duties under the legislation to maintain a register of people who want to acquire serviced plots of land in their area; and permission serviced land to satisfy demand on the register. Additionally, we strengthened the National Planning Policy Framework to state that self and custom build properties can provide affordable housing and that demand must be taken into account when determining housing need and reflected in planning policies. The Department also supports the National Custom and Self Build Association’s ‘Right to Build Task Force’ which helps local authorities, community groups and other organisations to deliver affordable self and custom build housing across the UK.

Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government why there is no mention of accessible and adaptable homes in the report by the Building Better, Building Beautiful CommissionLiving with beauty: health, well-being and sustainable growth, published on 30 January.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The independent ‘Building Better, Building Beautiful’ Commission was established in December 2018 to advise the Government on how to improve the design quality of new build homes and neighbourhoods. Its report was published on 30 January 2020. The Government welcomes the report and will provide a response in due course.Building Regulations include optional technical standards for accessible and adaptable homes and wheelchair accessible homes. The requirements in the regulations are supported by statutory guidance. Government will consult shortly on accessibility of new homes. The consultation will consider making higher accessibility standards mandatory, recognising the importance of suitable homes for the elderly and disabledThe National Design Guide states that well-designed homes and places should be accessible to all, support the health and well being of their users and be adaptable to their changing needs over time. We have delivered over 34,000 new units of supported and sheltered housing since 2011 for older, disabled and other vulnerable people. The Government funding for the disabled facilities grant (DFG) has more than doubled since 2015, rising from £220 million in 2015-16 to £505 million in 2019-20.

Cooperatives

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they provide to individuals and communities to establish cooperative community facilities.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government continues to recognise the importance of community involvement in the ownership and management of local facilities and supports several approaches to achieving this outcome. The £4 million More Than a Pub programme, jointly funded with Power to Change championed the cooperative model of community ownership and has supported 42 groups to achieve ownership of their local pub in England between March 2016 and March 2019. Since 2015, the Government has also provided £6 million funding through its Pocket Parks programme to support 350 partnerships between community-led organisations and their local authority to create useable green space community facilities. Community groups can also access the support and advice they need to take action in their neighbourhood through visiting online resources such as My Community. We are currently exploring the manifesto commitment for a £150 million Community Ownership Fund which will support people who want to protect and bring local assets into community ownership.

Housing: Cooperatives

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what supportthey provide to the cooperative housing sector in England, outside of London.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government supports the community-led housebuilding sector – of which housing co-operatives are an important part – through the Community Housing Fund. The Fund is delivered outside of London by Homes England. Capital and revenue grants are available to community-based groups wishing to take forward schemes to build locally affordable housing.The Government has also provided a £6 million grant from the Community Housing Fund to support Community Led Homes: a consortium of the major stakeholder groups (including the Confederation of Co-operative Housing). Community Led Homes is able to award secondary “seedcorn” grants of up to £4000 to community-based groups to enable those groups to establish an appropriately constituted body corporate, such as a housing co-operative. Community Led Homes is also using its grant to develop a network of technical advisors to support community-based groups though the process of taking forward their local housebuilding schemes.The Community Housing Fund is currently scheduled to close in March 2020. Ministers are considering all budgets in the round and allocations for 2020/21 will be confirmed through a business planning exercise. Allocations for future years will be considered at the forthcoming Budget and Spending Review.

Community Land Trusts

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they provide to communities to establish community land trusts.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government supports the community-led housebuilding sector – of which community land trusts are an important part – through the Community Housing Fund. The Fund is delivered outside of London by Homes England and within London by the Greater London Authority. Capital and revenue grants are available to community-based groups wishing to take forward schemes to build locally affordable housing.The Government has also provided a £6 million grant from the Community Housing Fund to support Community Led Homes: a consortium of the major stakeholder groups (including the National Community Land Trust Network). Community Led Homes is able to award secondary “seedcorn” grants of up to £4000 to community-based groups to enable those groups to establish an appropriately constituted body corporate, such as a community land trust. Community Led Homes is also using its grant to develop a network of technical advisors to support community-based groups though the process of taking forward their local housebuilding schemes.The Community Housing Fund is currently scheduled to close in March 2020. Ministers are considering all budgets in the round and allocations for 2020/21 will be confirmed through a business planning exercise. Allocations for future years will be considered at the forthcoming Budget and Spending Review.

Combined Authorities: Finance

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for the future funding of combined authority areas.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government is committed to ensuring an effective funding model for Mayoral Combined Authorities, including gainshare investment funds. We will publish an English Devolution White Paper in 2020. It will consider the future role of local growth funding and will provide further information on our plans for full devolution across England, whilst levelling up powers between Mayoral Combined Authorities.

Housing: Design

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote high quality design in the provision of housing.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: Design quality is emphasised within the National Planning Policy Framework and the National Design Guide. We have committed to producing a National Model Design Code this year, which will set detailed standards for key elements of successful design.We convened the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission in 2019 to advise on the promotion of high-quality design for new build homes, whose final report and recommendations were published on 30 January to which we will respond in due course. In addition, we have hosted two national design quality conferences, with a third planned this year.

Mayors

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the creation of metro mayors beyond the existing metro mayors.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government wants to see more devolution across the country, and we welcome locally backed proposals. Government is committed to completing the Sheffield City Region devolution deal and are in formal negotiations for a devolution deal for West Yorkshire. The English Devolution White Paper will provide further information on our plans for full devolution across England, increasing the number of mayors and doing more devolution deals.

Antisemitism

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeofany correlation between the actions of the government of Israel and antisemitic incidents in the UK.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: This government takes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of hate crime and that includes antisemitism. There has been an increase in reported hate crime towards the Jewish community captured in both the Home Office report “Hate Crime: England and Wales 2018/19”, and recent statistics released by the Community Security Trust. Some of the increase will reflect improvements in the recording of hate crime and increased confidence in reporting it. But we cannot be complacent. There have also been spikes following certain events such as international and domestic terror attacks. However, Government cannot comment on the specifics of individual cases.

Carbon Monoxide: Alarms

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government wat assessment they have made of the research conducted by Which? into the effectiveness of carbon monoxide alarms, published in June 2018.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: In 2019, the Office for Product Safety and Standards examined a small sample of carbon monoxide and smoke alarms for compliance with safety requirements. It found that nine out of ten were compliant and the remaining carbon monoxide product was over-sensitive which did not give rise to safety concerns.UK product safety legislation requires products, including carbon monoxide alarms, to be safe before they can be sold to consumers. Where the installation of carbon monoxide alarms is required by law or recommended, Government advice is that they should comply with British Standard BS EN 50291.

Local Government

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy aim in England for (1) unitary, and (2) two-tier, authorities.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: This Government believes that local government is the bedrock of our democracy and we will ensure that councils continue to deliver essential local services. We are committed to devolving power to people and places, so that every part of the country has power to shape its own destiny, and this year we will publish an English Devolution White Paper setting out our plans.

Ministry of Defence

Frigates: Deployment

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many frigates that are available for operations they estimate will be in the Royal Navy order of battle in (1) 2024, (2) 2025, and (3) 2026.

baroness goldie: We remain committed to ensuring that the Royal Navy will have the ships required to fulfil Defence commitments now and in the future.The Prime Minister has committed to undertake the deepest review of Britain's security, defence and foreign policy. This review will examine how we strengthen and prioritise our alliances, diplomacy and development and will consider all aspects of our defence and security capabilities, including our approach to procurement and maintaining our technological edge.

Department for Work and Pensions

Pneumoconiosis: Compensation

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases of compensation under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 were paid to workers employed in (1) slate quarrying and slate mining, (2) coal mining, (3) the textile industries, (4) the pottery industries, and (5) other industries, in the last year for which figures are available; and how many, if any, of those cases were related to diffuse mesothelioma.

baroness stedman-scott: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Pneumoconiosis: Compensation

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, under the provisions of thePneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979, how many new applications for compensation were made in the last year for which figures are available; what was the corresponding number of payments that were made; and what was the total cost of those payments.

baroness stedman-scott: The available information is shown in the table below. IIDB 3.1Pneumoconiosis (Worker's Compensation) Act 1979 by type of claimant and payment, Oct 2018 – Sep 2019   Number   Sufferer Dependant Month Number of claimsTotal Payments made £ Number of claimsTotal Payments made £2018October 3104,043,400 30226,852 November3003,270,613 40278,222 December2102,756,460 20177,2402019January 3003,686,361 30221,249 February 2402,724,420 20139,378 March 2903,471,191 30242,787 April 2403,348,735 30217,586 May 2503,435,557 1091,024 June 2603,321,152 20157,177 July 2703,651,931 30206,222 August 2103,119,361 30217,707 September2203,046,575 20180,725 Notes:Figures on claimants shown are rounded to the nearest 10.Figures show new claims for which an assessment has been completed.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what fundsthey have promised the Northern Ireland Executive to establish and support a Historical Investigations Unit, and any associated bodies; and over what time period any such funding will bemade available.

viscount younger of leckie: In the 2014 Stormont House Agreement, the Government committed up to £30 million per year for five years to help address the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past. In January 2020, the Government committed funding to support the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement proposals on legacy.

Treasury

Mortgages

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe impact of ring-fencing on the pricing of risk in the UK residential mortgage market.

lord agnew of oulton: The Bank of England acknowledged, in its December 2019 Financial Stability Report, that there has been increased competition in the UK residential mortgage market, as reflected by the continued decline in interest rates for new mortgages. This report noted that the competition in the mortgage market may have been amplified by the introduction of ring-fencing regulation. This year the Treasury will be appointing an independent panel to conduct a review of the operation of ring-fencing, as required by legislation. Based on the conclusions reached in its report, the review panel will make any necessary recommendations to the Treasury. This final report will then be published by the Treasury.

Financial Services: UK Trade with EU

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to securing a permanent equivalence agreement with the EU for financial services, and to other positions if this is not achieved.

lord agnew of oulton: We are committed to concluding a full range of equivalence assessments by June 2020 as we agreed with the EU. Equivalence will be a key part of our future relationship with the EU, and we are clear that it is an autonomous and technical process, which should proceed in a way that builds trust and dialogue between both sides. In addition, we are willing to look at regulatory and supervisory cooperation arrangements that reflect the level of access between our markets, and seek to establish processes for dialogue on equivalence.

Nickel: Commodity Markets

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they, or the Financial Conduct Authority, intend to investigate the nickel market on the London Metal Exchange for (1) possible market manipulation, or (2) failure to comply with market disclosure requirements.

lord agnew of oulton: I am unable to go into detail regarding individual cases. Investigations into alleged market abuse are the purview of the FCA, who I understand are aware of these allegations. The Government takes any attempt at market abuse extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring that financial markets are sound and transparent. The Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) strengthens the previous UK market abuse framework by extending its scope to new markets, new platforms and new behaviours. It contains prohibitions of insider dealing, unlawful disclosure of inside information and market manipulation, provisions to prevent and detect these acts, and powers to take enforcement action against those who do. I am confident that under MAR we have robust systems and controls in place to preserve market integrity and protect investors.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Commonwealth Games 2022

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential long-term benefits of hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022; and what steps they are taking to realise any such benefits.

baroness barran: Hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham will create long-term benefits for the city and the region, and DCMS is working closely with all Games Partners - including the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee, Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority to maximise these. We are developing an evaluation methodology for the legacy, and this will be published in due course alongside a wider Games legacy plan. This legacy work will be informed by lessons from previous Games, including London 2012 and Glasgow 2014. The ambitions for the Games are to improve health and wellbeing, bring people together, be a catalyst for change, put Britain on the map and help the region to grow and succeed. Hosting the Games is accelerating infrastructure and public transport improvements across the city and region, including new housing in Perry Barr and improvements to the University and Perry Barr railway stations. The Games will also bring upgraded elite and community sport facilities to Alexander Stadium, and the creation of a brand new aquatics centre in Sandwell, creating more opportunities for people to get active. We will build on the lessons from Sport England’s £10m investment to tackle inactivity in underrepresented groups in Birmingham and Solihull to ensure as many people as possible access opportunities to get active as a result of the Games. The Games is also a unique opportunity to drive economic growth in the region, create jobs and boost local skills. The Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee is expected to require around 41,000 staff, contractors and volunteers. The Commonwealth Games Village alone will support up to 400 new jobs, including 50 new apprenticeships. To boost skills, a Construction Training Hub has been established next to the Village site in Perry Barr offering bespoke training for local unemployed people to access these new construction opportunities being created in the region. A series of business engagement events has been hosted to support local businesses in bidding for Games contracts.

Google: Advertising

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that loopholes in Google's advertising networks allow companies to target vulnerable groups.

baroness barran: All organisations that process data that contains personal or identifying information about individuals in the UK must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. The Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations 2003 also imposes certain restrictions on the processing of personal data for direct marketing purposes.These rules impose strict obligations on organisations to process people’s data fairly and lawfully and to ensure that any data collected is held securely. Organisations must also ensure they have a legal basis for processing data, are clear and transparent about how personal data will be handled, and ensure that the data is processed in a way which individuals would expect. Organisations that fail to comply may be subject to enforcement action by the Information Commissioner’s Office.The ICO are consulting on a draft code of practice on Direct Marking, which is available on the ICO's website.Last year the government announced its intention to consider how online advertising is regulated in the UK. One of the key aims of this work is to drive transparent and ethical targeting practices for advertising online so that consumers are informed, empowered and can have trust in online advertising. The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation published a Review of online targeting on the 4th February 2020, which explicitly considers the impact of targeting on vulnerable people. This included a number of recommendations which the Government is considering; we will respond to the report by October. In addition, the ICO is currently investigating real time bidding practices within online advertising to ensure they are GDPR compliant.

Elections: Disinformation

lord cromwell: To ask Her Majesty's Government, given the “real danger that hostile actors use online disinformation to undermine” the UK’s “democratic values and principles” outlined in their Online Harms White Paper, published in April 2019, what steps they plan to take to empower the proposed independent regulator to require online platforms to take down such material that may be perceived to have an impact on an electoral contest; and what guidance they plan to give to that regulator about how any such decision should be reached.

baroness barran: On 12 February the Government published its Initial Consultation Response to the Online Harms White Paper. This sets out our direction of travel on a number of key areas, including that we are minded to appoint Ofcom as the regulator for online harms, and more detail on the proposed approach of the regulator. The response also confirmed that a media literacy strategy will be published in Summer 2020 and aim to support citizens in thinking critically about the things they come across online. More detailed proposals on online harms regulation will be released in the spring. The Government has also established the Defending Democracy programme to bring together expertise and ongoing work on protecting democratic processes from different departments. This programme, led by the Cabinet Office, has been set up to: protect and secure UK democratic processes, systems and institutions from interference, including from cyber, personnel and physical threats;strengthen the integrity of UK elections;encourage respect for open, fair and safe democratic participation; andpromote fact-based and open discourse, including online.As part of this work, we engage regularly with social media companies to understand the actions they are taking to prevent misuse of their platforms.

Manufacturing Industries: Historic Buildings

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theanswer by Baroness Barran on 11 February (HL Deb, col 2148), whichfunding streams in their control are available towards the renovation, refurbishment and re-use of empty Victorian mills and similar structures in the Pennine area of the North of England.

baroness barran: Government encourages proposals for mill refurbishments to be brought forward under the £3.6billion Towns Fund, following the successful conversion of Sunny Bank Mill in Leeds referenced in its prospectus. Funding for mill conversions into housing can be sought through the £4.5billion Home Building Fund, which has already provided £20million of development capital for five mill conversions across Bradford, Harrogate and Leeds, delivering 348 new homes. Government’s heritage bodies can also help to unlock the potential of historic mills. The National Lottery Heritage Fund gives grants of up to £5million through its Heritage Enterprise programme, to schemes seeking to achieve economic growth by investing in heritage and returning an historic asset to a viable productive use. New proposals to unleash the potential of the North and all regions across England will be brought forward in a devolution white paper in the coming months, devolving power and funding to people and places so that every part of the country can shape its own destiny.

Broadband

the duke of montrose: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funds have been earmarked for the completion of the full-fibre network in the UK; and when they expect to deliver a nationwide full-fibre network.

baroness barran: This Government is investing record amounts to level up digital infrastructure across the UK. We are already connecting some of the hardest to reach places in the country, through our Superfast broadband programme and £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme. In addition, we have pledged a further £5bn to ensure no part of the country is left behind. Our aim is for nationwide coverage of gigabit-capable networks, including full fibre, as soon as possible. Much progress has already been made by the Government, working with the telecoms industry, to support network rollout and deployment is starting to increase at pace. For example, we have introduced the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill into Parliament, which will make it easier for network builders to access blocks of flats where there is an absent or unresponsive landlord.

Broadband: Scotland

the duke of montrose: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any earmarked funds for the delivery of a full-fibre network for the UK include specified funding for the delivery of the full-fibre network in Scotland; and what funds have been allocated for this purpose in the current year.

baroness barran: Just over £11.5 million of UK Government funding is being provided to Scotland through the Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) programme. This funding is upgrading public sector assets with gigabit-capable full fibre networks across Tay Cities, Highland Councils and Shetland Councils. These upgrades will then stimulate the market to invest commercially in the surrounding communities. Good progress has been made with the projects thus far with the build, and the associated funding, expected to be completed and utilised respectively by March 2021. The Scottish Borderlands area is also a priority for the Government’s £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme, which is upgrading public sector sites in rural areas with gigabit-capable networks. This programme also offers vouchers for rural customers, which can be used to contribute towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable infrastructure. In addition, the government has pledged £5 billion for a new programme delivering gigabit-capable broadband to the most difficult areas to reach across the UK, including communities in Scotland. We are currently engaging closely with industry, Local Authorities and Devolved Administrations to design this new programme and get the best possible value for money for taxpayers. We intend to start procuring contracts early next year.

Marketing

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 10 February (HL474), who is conducting the research on the impact of marketing and advertising on children, young people and other vulnerable people; and when that research will be published.

baroness barran: GambleAware commissioned a major research project examining the effects of gambling-related marketing and advertising on children, young people and other vulnerable people. The project comprises multiple strands and conducted by two consortia. The first consortium is led by Ipsos Mori in partnership with the University of Bristol, the University of Edinburgh, Ebiquity and the Centre for Analysis of Social Media at Demos. The second is led by the University of Stirling in partnership with ScotCen Social Research, the University of Glasgow and the University of Warwick. An interim report of initial findings was published in July 2019 and can be seen here: https://about.gambleaware.org/media/1965/17-067097-01-gambleaware_interim-synthesis-report_090719_final.pdf We understand that the final report is due to be published in March 2020. 



Interim Synthesis Report
(PDF Document, 2.05 MB)

Ofcom: Finance

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the number of their grants to Ofcom, following the announcement that it willhave increased regulatory responsibilities.

baroness barran: As outlined in the Government’s ‘The Online Harms White Paper - Initial consultation response’, published on 12 February 2020, “The White Paper makes clear that in order to recoup both the implementation costs and running costs of the regulator, the government is considering fees, charges or a levy on companies whose services are in scope. This could fund the full range of the regulator’s activity. The government intends the new regulator to become cost neutral to the public sector.” The Government is carrying out extensive analysis on potential funding options taking Ofcom’s existing funding structure into consideration. Full details on the funding mechanism for the Online Harms regulatory regime will be set out in due course.

Railways: Anniversaries

lord shipley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to commemorate the bicentenary of the opening of George Stephenson's railway between Hetton Colliery and the River Wear in 2022.

baroness barran: The Government currently has no plans to commemorate the bicentenary of the Hetton Colliery Railway. Stephenson played a key role in Britain’s position as a pioneer of railway development. If an organisation were to bring forward proposals for such a commemoration, our heritage bodies would be happy to discuss these and to provide expertise as needed. Historic England is supporting the nearby Stockton and Darlington Railway, of which the Hetton Colliery Railway was the forerunner, as part of its Heritage Action Zone programme from 2018-2023. This is likely to increase interest in this area.